What is the prime factorization of 180?

To find the prime factorization of 180, follow these steps:

Start by dividing 180 by the smallest prime number, which is 2, since 180 is even.

180 ÷ 2 = 90

Next, divide 90 by 2, since it is also even.

90 ÷ 2 = 45

Now, 45 is not divisible by 2, so move to the next prime number, which is 3.

45 ÷ 3 = 15

Divide 15 by 3.

15 ÷ 3 = 5

Finally, 5 is a prime number, so we stop here.

Now, we can write 180 as the product of all the prime factors:

180 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 3 × 5

Or, we can express this as:

180 = 2² × 3² × 5

Thus, the prime factorization of 180 is 2² × 3² × 5.